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12:30-1:30 TTH & by appt. |
Shanks 231 |
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3:30-4:45 PM TTH |
Pamplin 3001 |
(To Subscribe, click here and follow the instructions) This syllabus is located online at:
http://wiz.cath.vt.edu/exper/mosser/classes/hel02/4054.html
It will be updated as warranted.
Texts & Materials
Ever wonder why many of our names for governmental and judicial activities are based on French borrowings (e.g., "impeach," "judge," "treason," "court," "state")? Or why the French use words like "le weekend," "le parking," or "nonstop"? Why we contract "We are not" but not "I am not"? Why we don't say "thou" but do say "y'all"? The answers to these and other questions lie in the history of the English language and its users, from the language's Germanic roots, through its origins in England, its spread throughout the Empire, and, finally, to its present-day status as a de facto "World Language."
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Small Group Work (five, 5 points each, minus lowest) |
20% |
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Quizzes (six, 5 points each) |
30% |
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Midterm (15 points) |
15% |
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15% |
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20% |
Tuesday, January 15
Introduction to Course
Thursday, January 17
"The Human Language," Pt. 1 (Video 5408); Crystal, "Grammatical Mythology," pp. 190-197
Tuesday, January 22
"Brief Overview"; "case & inflections"; Crystal, pp. 198-205
Thursday, January 24
Small Group Ex. 1; Crystal, "The Sound System," pp. 236-241 (Vowels); "The Sound System," pp. 242 -247 (Consonants, Connected Speech); sounds handout
Tuesday, January 29
Small Group Ex. 2
Thursday, January 31
"Indo-European and the Pre-History of English"; Video, "In Search of the First Language"
Tuesday, February 5
Take Quiz 1 before class; Crystal, pp. 6-23; "The Beginnings of English in England"
Thursday, February 7
"Outside Influences"; Crystal, pp. 24-29
Tuesday, February 12
Take Quiz 2 before class; OE cont. Small Group Ex. 3
Thursday, February 14
Crystal, pp. 30-45; "The Norman Conquest and Early Middle English"
Tuesday, February 19
Crystal, pp. 46-55; "Late Middle English"
Thursday, February 21
Take Quiz 3 before class; ME, cont.; Small Group Ex. 4; Discuss Projects
Tuesday, February 26
Crystal, pp, 56-69; "Early Modern English"
Thursday, February 28
Quiz 4 due by midnight Monday, March 11
March 2-10 Spring Break Tuesday, March 12
Video 1110, vol. 2.1: "A Muse of Fire" (Early Modern English); Crystal, pp. 70-77; 442-43 "The Evolution of English Dictionaries"
Thursday, March 14
Tuesday, March 19
Midterm Exam
Thursday, March 21
"The Development of English Grammars"; Crystal, pp. 78-79; 366-369
Tuesday, March 26
Take Quiz 5 before class; Grammar & Dictionaries, cont.
Thursday, March 28
"The American (English) Language"; Crystal, pp. 80-85; 92-97; 306-311
Tuesday, April 2
Crystal, pp. 298-305; by midnight, e-mail me a proposal for your project
Thursday, April 4
Crystal, pp. 312-339; Video 1795: "American Tongues"
Tuesday, April 9
Take Quiz 6 before class; Video 1110, vol. 3.1: "Black on White"
Thursday, April 11
The "English Only Movement"; Crystal, pp. 115; video & audio recordings
Tuesday, April 16
Small Group Ex. 5
Thursday, April 18
Crystal, pp. 340-363
Tuesday, April 23
"World Englishes"; Crystal pp. 106-114
Thursday, April 25
Projects Due; Video 1110, The Story of English, vol. 5: "The Empire Strikes Back" (not that one), a.k.a."Next Year's Words; "What Global Language?" The Atlantic Monthly Volume 286, No. 5 (November 2000): 52-66.
Tuesday, April 30
Review for Final Exam; Classes End
Saturday, May 4 1:05-3:05 PM
The quizzes for this class are "Whiz Quizzes," which you will take online. The threshhold is set to 70%, meaning that no grades below that are reported and once you have achieved at least that score, whatever you achieve (70% or better) is recorded as your grade: NB: the first score that achieves 70% or higher is the one recorded. Quizzes are worth a maximum of 5 points each. Any quizzes taken after the class period on the day the quiz is due will receive no higher than half credit. [back]
